From the University of Florida/IFAS:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – UF/IFAS Extension is working with federal partners to offer a workshop in Miami in April to help interested parties write and submit federal grant applications for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion programs.
UF/IFAS is part of a national effort to train people in attaining these grants.
Workshops are being conducted across the nation, but the Florida workshop will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., April 8 at the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department, 3071 SW 38th Ave., Miami.
Pre-registration is not required but is strongly encouraged to ensure materials are available for all participants. Please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amsta-technical-assistance-program-tickets-15668841928.
With $30 million authorized annually through fiscal year 2018 by the 2014 Farm Bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awards grants to develop new markets for farm and ranch operations serving local and regional markets. The Farmers Market Promotion Program supports farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer activities, while the Local Food Promotion Program supports enterprises that aggregate, store, distribute and process local and regional food.
These investments are part of the USDA’s commitment to strengthening local and regional food systems through projects that recruit and train farmers, expand economic opportunities and increase access to healthy foods.
Other agencies working with UF/IFAS include the Southern Rural Development Center, the Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Institute for Food and Agriculture.
A list of upcoming grant workshop dates and locations can be found at http://www.amsta.net.
More workshops will be added soon, and the state representatives listed on the website can be contacted for additional information about upcoming workshops. Some of the workshops will be recorded and available for online viewing for those not able to attend.
The USDA press release describing this effort can be found at:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2015/01/0019.xml.